Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 13
Sūrya-vaṃśa Genealogy and the Supremacy of Tapas: Gāyatrī-Japa, Rudra-Darśana, and Śatarudrīya Upadeśa
दृष्ट्वा तु गौतमं विप्रं तपन्तमनलप्रभम् / प्रणम्य दण्डवद् भूमौ पुत्रकामो महीपतिः / अपृच्छत् कर्मणा केन धार्मिकं प्राप्नुयात् सुतम्
dṛṣṭvā tu gautamaṃ vipraṃ tapantamanalaprabham / praṇamya daṇḍavad bhūmau putrakāmo mahīpatiḥ / apṛcchat karmaṇā kena dhārmikaṃ prāpnuyāt sutam
Voyant le brahmane-sage Gautama, brûlant d’ascèse tel un feu, le roi—désireux d’un fils—se prosterna de tout son long sur la terre. Puis il demanda : «Par quelle action peut-on obtenir un fils juste, conforme au Dharma ?»
Narrator (Sūta/Vyāsa tradition) describing the king’s action; the king speaks in the final query
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: it presents tapas, humility, and dharma as prerequisites for higher aims—suggesting that righteous outcomes (like worthy progeny) are aligned with inner purity and self-discipline that ultimately support realization of the Self.
Tapas (austerity) is foregrounded—Gautama is described as “fire-radiant” through ascetic heat. The king’s daṇḍavat-pranāma reflects vinaya (humility) and śaraṇāgati-like reverence, both supportive disciplines in Purāṇic yoga and dharma practice.
This verse does not explicitly mention Shiva or Vishnu; it reflects the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis by locating desired worldly blessings within dharma and tapas—shared Purāṇic values across Shaiva and Vaishnava teachings.